


From Worst to Best

by Trekflower (TrekFlower)



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Chakotay Needs a Hug, F/M, Hugs, XOs for the XOs, bad day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-09
Updated: 2020-09-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:54:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26342962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrekFlower/pseuds/Trekflower
Summary: Chakotay is having a bad day, but Kathryn always seems to make it better.
Relationships: Chakotay/Kathryn Janeway
Comments: 26
Kudos: 84
Collections: XOs for the XOs





	From Worst to Best

**Author's Note:**

> No Beta on this one all mistakes are my own

=/\=

"Chakotay...do you need a hug?" Voyager's chief engineer teased as she watched the Commander struggle to place the paneling of the EPS conduit back. The Commander had merely bumped it as he walked by, but it was enough for the metal to fall out, ripping his pants and cutting his shin along the way. He cursed under his breath as the panel refused to go into place, not quite fitting any way he turned it. “You fucking came out of there just fine, now go back to were you god damn belong,” he grumbled.

The panel was just one more thing to add to Chakotay’s series of unfortunate events. In the years aboard Voyager he’d become a man at piece, but today had him itching to punch something raw. The day started off with him spilling boiling hot tea on his bare chest as he tried to drink and get dressed at the same time. In his blunder he then whacked his toe on a chair and spilled even more drink on himself. By the time the cup was set down more had ended up _on_ him then _in_ him. He decided to forgo the rest of the tea and once properly dressed, headed to the mess hall to investigate Neelix’s morning special. Upon entering the dining hall, the Commander was jostled when a barely conscious crewman stumbled into him, knocking into Chakotay’s jaw and causing him to bite his tongue. 

The first few hours on the bridge were not much better, when he discovered none of the previous shift’s logs were entered correctly. Instead of spending precious time to talk with Kathryn, he ended up re-entering the logs properly. Once everything was corrected, he got maybe 5 minutes with the Captain before she was off to make rounds and to meet with department heads. Chakotay was a patient man, but the sum of the little incidents were starting to nip away at his composure. 

Before his shift was over Chakotay had managed to jam his finger, sit on and crack a PADD, and had tripped twice while ascending the two stupid steps build into Voyager’s bridge layout. Beta shift could not arrive fast enough as he was starting to feel like a _‘Targ in a China shop’_ by the time he was relieved. Chakotay relinquished command to Harry for the evening before darting into the lift before anything else could go wrong.

Making his way into engineering he bumped into yet another crewmen, this one happened to step on his foot, before brushing up against the panel he was now ready to use for target practice. “Chakotay leave it. Carry needs to do some work in there later anyway,” B’Elanna tried to pull her friend away from the task. 

With a frustrating sigh the commander set the panel down and leaned against the wall. He watched as the unruly thing started to slide and Chakotay tried to stop it with his foot, but all he managed to do was crease the metal with a large dent from his heel. “Damn it!” he bellowed and spun to B’Elanna, fist clenched taking deep breaths. “Are you ready?” he asked through gritted teeth. 

“For what?” she crossed her arms and looked to the panel. 

“Our velocity rematch.”

“That is tomorrow Chakotay, besides it look like you need to run a boxing program instead,” she smirked. 

“I don’t have any more holo-deck time this month,” he answered with a clenched jaw. 

“Well then I suggest you go meditate or something because I have work to do tonight.”

Chakotay marched out of engineering and ordered the lift to take him back to deck 3. He couldn’t ease his frustrations in the boxing ring but he did still have a bottle of Zerina cider tucked away in his desk. Arriving back at his quarters he found the bottle and was about to replicate a glass when his door chimed. The pitch of the bell spiked his blood pressure and he hung his head. As much as he was done with today, it would seem that the day was not done with him. 

“Enter,” he sighed, setting down the bottle.

The door slid open and Kathryn walked into his darkened quarters. “Is this a bad time?” she asked. Her smile lifted the Commander’s mood and he managed to pull a smile from his frustrated features. 

“To what do I owe the pleasure Captain?”

“You invited me over for dinner, did I get the wrong day?” she asked, noticing nothing but the bottle of cider on the table. 

Chakotay could not remember when he had asked her, then again it would make sense that he would forget after the day he’d been having. “I’m sorry Kathryn, I completely forgot. This hasn’t been my best day,” he tucked his head and pulled on his ear. 

“Oh really,” she looked concerned. “What happened?”

“Just little things, tripping on my own feet, biting my tongue, spilling my drink.” He began to chuckle, “it sounds so stupid when I say it all out loud.” 

“Is there anything I could do to make it better?” Kathryn made her way to his side resting a hand on his chest. 

“Your company for dinner would be a good start,” he closed his hand around hers. 

“Would you rather go to my quarters and I can whip us up something?”

Chakotay laughed at the offer. “Kathryn, my day has been bad enough please don’t add to it with your cooking.” Kathryn laughed with him, leaning in ever so slightly. 

“Just trying to lighten your mood,” she smiled. “I hate seeing you so upset.”

Chakotay’s heart did a backflip, he looked down into the steely blue eyes of the woman that gave him peace. Once again she steered him out of his sea of anger, replacing his range with contentment merely from her presence. She had the power to settle any war within himself without ever knowing she had done so. 

Chakotay took a chance and wrapped an arm around her pulling her into a hug. She did not resist and instead leaned even further into his embrace. She laid her head against his chest and listened to the rhythm of his heartbeat. Chakotay dropped his cheek atop her head and slowly swayed them from side to side. What was shaping into Chakotay’s worst day slowly turned into his best, as the woman he cherished was holding onto him as tightly as he was to her. 

Kathryn’s hug may lead to more one day, but for now it was what he needed to remain at peace. For as long as Kathryn Janeway was in his life, Chakotay’s day would always be a good one.

THE =/\= END 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, please let me know what you think. Comments and Kudos give me joy!!


End file.
